When you find
yourself in a sad place, melancholy and moody there is a simple way to change
how we feel.Now is the time to take a
stand!

It is fascinating to me the difference between a slump and a
success.When you look at someone, you
can almost see it, simply by looking at them.What is the magic difference?Posture.A simple straightening
of the back can change the way you see the world and the way the world sees
you.When we are think of our lives in
terms of our body, mind, and spirit, is so easy to separate them out into
disconnected segments.We put them into
different compartments and do not notice the connection between them.However,
I have found the opposite to be true over and over again.

The body-mind-spirit
is a continuum of connections.

The body holds the memory of our emotions.For example, have you ever tried to put a
physical smile on your face when you are feeling down?It really does ease the pain a few
degrees.Try it now.Put a smile on your face and notice your heart
begin to feel light.Standing tall has a
similar effect.When you stand tall the
sadness may still be there, but there is less of it, along with more confidence
to take on the issue at hand.

Our memory of
standing up is confidence and the power of “I can.”

The thing is to remember is that we were not born standing
up.When we were young standing up was
such a huge accomplishment that took months of practice.Practicing what seems simple and natural now
as a human to stand on our own two feet.We forget how much we had to practice.Over and over again we would practice standing up, and then fall onto
our bottoms.We might hold onto a chair
or a couch to practice with support for awhile until we found the courage to
let go.We didn’t even bother to walk
yet . Letting go of the extra support and the excitement of standing alone,
without falling down, was enough to bring us a huge feeling of success.When we finally reached our goal, we were
left with a feeling of “Yes, I can do this!”

So the body’s memory of standing tall is joy, confidence and
the importance of what we can do in this world.When we stand with that same proud posture, our brain tells us we have
accomplished something, we are important and we know it.

What about the other posture, what is our memory of slouching?The first experience we have of curling our
backs is being inside the womb.We are
all curled up into the fetal position and are happy to be taken care of.It feels so safe and right to have someone
else in control, until it’s not anymore.There is a lot of kicking that goes on in when you are pregnant, that is
until the baby is too big to kick.Not
too much later, the baby is ready to come out.We continue to hold our babies in
that fetal position to protect and love them until they are older.Soon we only hold them in this way when they
are crying.We hold them and they curl
their backs up and allow us to care for them, to make them safe again.It is not a posture of confidence, it is a
posture that reminds us we do not want to do it on our own.It is a posture that we want someone else who
is bigger and stronger to take care of us.

As we look at the memory of a straight spine we see a huge
difference in emotions and experiences.If
it is true that the body does in fact hold memory, you can see how a curled
back posture is so detrimental to your confidence and power as an adult. Before you discount this, I suggest you give
this theory the benefit of the doubt and try the following experiment for
yourself.

Begin a program this week to practice standing tall.Keep track of the differences that happen day
to day as you play with this new idea.For example, the next time you stand in line at the grocery store,
become aware of how you stand.Then
quickly check in to see how you are feeling in your body.To stand tall, balance your weight on both
feet equally and stand shoulder width apart.Check your shoulders roll them up and back and let them relax down at
your sides.Imagine on the crown of your
head there is a string attached.This
string is ever so gently pulling straight up.Notice it lengthening your spine supporting your head upright and
looking forward.Your spine is straightening
and you are relaxing.Take a breath in
and out and notice how you are standing now.Check inside your physical body for tension and stress to see if
anything has changed.

You are going to want to try this experiment at different
times.While you walk down the street,
when you are doing the dishes or while you are talking to a friend, continue to
notice how you stand.Correct your
posture each time, gently and with awareness.Notice your emotions, and thoughts as you straighten up and stand
tall.

Standing tall takes practice and you can learn to do
it.Afterall the benefits have the instant
gratification we love, and the long term effect of creating the confidence and
power you have already inside of you to live an authentic life.You just might find yourself self-assured and
confident to take on anything that comes your way!